Stop motion for fly frames



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. WILLIAMSON, JR STOP MOTION FOR FLY FRAMES b: SA

May 26, 1964 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 NON QQNIK y 26, 1964 J. G. WILLIAMSON, JR 3,134,217

STOP MOTION FOR FLY FRAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 9, 1962 wmw.

w. Q- J ATTORNEYS May 26., 1964 I Filed Aug. 9, 1962 J. a. WILLIAMSON, JR 3,134,217

STOP MOTION FOR FLY FRAMES 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 87 INVENTORI JOHN G. W\L.L.\AMSON,JR.

ATTORNEYS 'iohn G. Williamson, In, Charlotte,

United States Patent 3,134,217 Sift)? MOTION FUR FLY FRAMES N11 assignor to Perfecting Service Company, Charlotte, .N.(I., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Aug. 9, 1962, Ser. No. 215,962

' 17 Claims, (El. 57- 7% This invention relates to fly frames, generally known as roving frames, and is particularly concerned with an improved means for stopping such frames upon the bobings thereof being filled with roving.

As is well known, textile manufactures are constantly striving to increase production without materially increasing the cost of production. This is particularly true in the processing of textile strands through fly frames and spinning frames and has resulted in the packages of roving becoming so large and heavy that most spinning frame operators have considerable difficulty in theusual creel dofflng anddonning operations. I,

Accordingly, it has become common practice, in many mills, to employ one or more specialists whose primary duties are the dofling of empty roving bobbins from the creels of spinning frames and replacing the same with filled roving packages, during the course of which it is necessary that the filled roving packages are selected from a tray positioned above the usual creel and then the open upper ends of the filled packages are positioned on freely rotatable and relatively short shafts suspended from thearms' of the creel. It follows, therefore, that it is highly desirable, from a standpoint ofeconomy and efficiency, to replace all the empty roving bobbins on the creel of any particular spinning frame with filled roving packages in a substantially uninterrupted sequence commonly known as block 'creeiing. In other words, it is highly desirable that all of the roving bobbins become empty on a particular spinning frame at substantially the same time and it is apparent that; in order for all the'roving bobbins to become emptyat approximately the same time, it is necessary that all of the roving packages produced on all the fly frames in themill'have substantially the same lengths of roving wound thereon,

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a novel means for controlling fly frames'so as to produce roving packages thereon, each of which packages has sub- 'stantially the same length of rovingwound thereonas the other producedon thesame and on any other fly frames which may be processing roving of the same size and fiber characteristics, and'which means includes apparatus for counting the number of layers of roving deposited on the bobbins during the winding of the roving onto the same in each winding cycle on each of a plural' ity of fly framesand means for automatically stopping each fly frame in response to a predetermined number of such layers behind counted. 4

It is another object of this invention to'provide means circuit breaking means.

ass gn? PatentedMay 25, ,lfifid to the aforementioned electrical means at the end of build I or winding cycle whereby a predetermined number of layers of roving are wound onto the bobbins from the instant the fly frame is started until it is stopped by the It is still anotherobject to provide a stop motion of the character last described which includes means for stopping the carriage in a predetermine position relative to the flyers of the fly frame.

It is another object of this invention to provide a stop motion of the character described with switch means under control of the belt-shifting rack of the fly frame, which switch means is so arranged as to prevent restarting the fiy frame at the end of a winding cycle until the rack is reset to its correct starting position.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings,.in which I p FIGURE l'is a schematic diagram of various operating parts of a fly frame showing the improved stop motion in association therewith; 7 FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary view of the rear medial portion of a fly frame and showing the improved stop 'motion in association with a conventional builder motion of the type peculiar to fly frames, the various elements shown in FIGURE 2 being shown in the central lefthand portion of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged plan view,- partially in section, taken substantially along line 3-3 in FIGURE 2 and showing the improved layer counting device and the switches operated thereby with the cover removed therefrom for purposes of clarity; Y

FIGURE 4 is anelevation of the structure shown in FIGURE 3 with the cover mounted on the base of the layer counting device and being partially brokenaway; FIGURE 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view through the fly frame taken substantially along line 5-5 in FIGURE 2, but showing some: of the parts of catalogues and instruction booklets issued bythe manufacturers of fly frames and which are well-known in most textile mills. Thus, the conventional elements illus-.

trated in FIGURE'I may be readily recognized by those 7 familiar with the art and'only those parts of the conventional fly'frame which are necessary to a clear under- 'standing' of the present invention will be described.

for counting the number of traversingreciprocations im- I parted to the bobbin rail and bobbins of a flyframe during eachbuild, with means responsive to said count ing means counting a predetermined number of such reciprocations for stopping the fly frame whereby allthe roving packages thus produced will include substantially the'same number oflayers of roving thereon, the number of layers of roving wound on' different bobbins being varied only to the extent broken ends. v

' It is a more spacific object of this inventionto provide a stop motion attachment for fly frames of the type having electrical means for controlling the operation of the bobbin carriage and the contactshaft along with other operating parts of the fly frame,

permitted by the piecing up of Referring to FiGURE 1, in particular,- the numeral 10 indicates the "main drive shaft which has a pulley 11 thereon .driven by an electric motor 12 through thejmediurn 'of an. endless belt '13'and a pulley 14 fixed on'the shaft of motor 12." Instead of being driven by an electric motor, some fly frames include tight and loose pulleys inplace of the pulley I1, and acontinuouslydriven'belt, similar to the beltf13, is shifted from the loose pulley-to the tight pulley for-driving the main drive shaft ltland,

upon the belt shifter being released ina well-known manher, the belt shifterreturns' the belt from engagement which stop motion attachmentincludes a rotor operatively associated with the contact with the tight pulley intoengagemeiit with the loose pulley to stop the fly frame. description proceeds, that the present stop'motion may be used with either type ofdrive.

A Drive shaft 10 hasa gear ls'fixed thereon which is It will be apparent, as the connected, by a diagrammatically illustrated gear train 16, to a pair of gears 17, only one of which is shown, fixed on respective spindle shafts 2t (FIGURES 1 and 5). Each spindle shaft imparts rotation to a plurality of spindles 21 by means of bevel gears 22, 23 fixed on the respective shafts 2t 21. The spindles 21 are supported in a well-known manner and each has a flyer 24 mounted on the upper end thereof for directing respective strands of roving R from the usual drawing rolls, not shown, through presserfeet P to respective bobbins B.

Each bobbin B is positioned on a bolster or other support 26 having a gear 27 on its lower end which rests upon a bracket 36 (FIGURE 5) carried by a conventional bolster rail or bobbin carriage 31. As is usual, it will be observed in FIGURE 5 that the spindles 21 extend through the brackets 31).

A pair of bobbin shafts 32 is journaled in the bearing brackets30, and each gear 27 meshes with a bevel gear 33 fixed on the corresponding bobbin shaft 32. The bobbin shafts 32 are connected to the output portion of a conventional differential compound 35 by means of gears 36, 37 and an intervening gear train 40.

The differential compound 35 is of well-known construction and need not be described in detail, it being suflicient to state that the differential compound performs an addition of a variable r.p.m. component derived from the conventional bottom cone shaft 41 and a constant r.p.m. component coming directly from the main shaft 10 of the fly frame, making the sum of the components available for the drive of the bobbins. The bottom cone shaft 41 is connected to a gear 42 on the input portion of the differential compound 35 by means of conventional gears 44-49 and a gear train shown schematically in broken lines in the right-hand portion of FIGURE 1. It will be noted that the gears 46, 47 are mounted on a common traverse drive shaft which is driven at a speed proportional to the speed of the bottom cone shaft 41 and drives the conventional builder motion broadly designated at 60, and which will be later described.

As-is usual, bottom cone shaft 41 has a cone 61-thereon which is, engaged by an endless belt 62, which also engages a top cone 63 fixed on a top coneshaft 66. Belt 62 is engaged by a belt shifter 64 which is connected to a conventional movable element or rack 65 to which stepwise movement is imparted by the builder motion, as will be later described. As is well known, belt 62, cones 61, 63 and rack 65 are parts of a variable speed mechanism for varying the speed of bobbins B relative to flyers 24 during the run, and during which rack 65 moves a predetermined amount in one direction (right to left in FIGURES 1 and 2) and is subsequently reset by movement in the opposite direction to the starting position at the end of the run. Top cone shaft 66 is connected to main drive shaft lflzthrough agear train 67 and is thus driven at a speed directly proportional to the speed of main drive shaft 10. Referring to the lower left-hand portion of FIGURE 1, it will be observed that traverse drive shaft 55 has a bevel gear 70 fixed thereon which is alternately engaged by a pair of spaced twin bevel gears 71, 72. Gears 71, 72 are fixed on a common sleeve 73 keyed for axial movement on an auxiliary traverse drive shaft 74-. Auxiliary traverse drive shaft 74 has bevel gear 75 fixed thereon which meshes with a bevel gear 76 fixed on a jack shaft 77. Jack shaft 77 also has a spur gear 80 fixed thereon which meshes with a gear 81 fixed on a lay shaft 82.

Lay shaft 32 has a lay change gear 83 fixed thereon which meshes with one of a lay train of gears generally designatedat84. Lay train 84 also includes a gear 85 fixed on a conventional lifter shaft 86 which, as observed in FIGURE 5, is journaled in a lower portion of the frame structure 87 of the fly frame.

Lifter shaft 8 6 has one or more pinions 88 fixed thereon, each of which meshes with an arcuate lift rack 90 formed integral with a bobbin lifter arm 91. Lifter arm 91 is pivotally mounted, as at 89 (FIGURE 5), on the frame structure of the fly frame. As shown in FIGURE 5, the front portion of each lifter arm engages a roller 92 journaied in a bracket 93 secured to the lower portion of bolster rail 31. Thus, as reciprocatory movement is imparted to rack 96, vertical reciprocatory movement is also imparted to the bolster rail 31 and bobbins B relative to spindles 21 and flyers 24.

As is well known, twin gears 72, 73 are alternately shifted into engagemet with cone gear 76 by means of a reversing lever 95. Lever 95 is shifted to and fro by means of an eccentric cam 96 fixed on the lower end of a contact shaft or tumbler shaft 97. Contact shaft 97 has a dog 100 fixed thereon and provided with a pair of vertically spaced and oppositely directed arms or abutments s, t which alternately engage a pair of relatively adjustable builder jaws 101.

Builder jaws 1411 are suitably guided for vertical adjustment relative to the frame structure of the fly frame and are penetrated by respective oppositely threaded portions of a builder screw 103. The builder jaws 101 are raised and lowered with bolster rail 31 in a well-known manner (FIGURE 5). As the builder jaws 1101 move above and below the respective abutments s, t on builder dog 1%, conventional resilient means, not shown, but associated with cam 96, causes the teeth of a missing-tooth gear 105, fixed on the upper end of tumbler shaft 97, to engage a bevel gear 166 fixed on top cone shaft 66. As is conventional, gear 105 has two diametrically opposed areas or gaps 164 of missing teeth, only one of which is shown in FIGURE 5.

Since top cone shaft 66 and bevel gear 106 are continuously driven during each winding cycle, a half revolution is imparted to shaft 97 to cause the other of the two arms, s, t, to engage the corresponding builder jaw 101 as an area or gap 104- (FIGURE 5) of missing teeth on gear 155 registers with gear 196. In so doing, cam 96 (FIGURE 1) moves reversing lever 95 and shifts sleeve 73 and twin gear 71, 72 in the corresponding direction, thus reversing the direction of movement of bobbin carriage 31. This procedure is reversed each time the builder jaws 101 move beyond the corresponding abutment s or t during vertical reciprocation thereof. It follows that a partial or half revolution is imparted to contact shaft 9 7 at the end of each vertical stroke of the bolster rail 31 in each direction.

The builder screw 103 is rotated in a stepwise manner each time a halfrevolution is imparted to contact shaft 97, as is Well known. To this end, contact 97 has a worm 110 fixed thereon which meshes with a worm gear 111 connected through a gear train 112 to the rack 65. A clutch 108 (FIGURE 5) connects worm gear 111 with gear train 112 during operation of the fly frame. This clutch 168 is operated in a well-known manner, by an arm v connected thereto, to break the connection between worm gear 111 and gear train 112 whenever the fly frame is stopped, as is shown, for example, in FIGURES 2 and 3 of US. Patent No. 2,452,873, granted to Johnnie J. Seawright on November 2, 1948.

Rack 65 is engaged by a pinion 113 having another pinion 114 integral therewith, or connected thereto, which meshes with a gear 115 keyed on the upper portion of builder screw 97 so the builder screw 97 may move vertically relative tothe gear 115. It is apparent that, each time a step in rotation is imparted to contact shaft 97, a step in movement'- is imparted to rack-65 to thus move belt shifter 64 and impart'a step in rotation to builder screw 163, and to thus move builder jaws 101 toward each other, at the end of each stroke of bobbin carriage 31 (FIGURE 5) in either direction. A hand wheel 116 is usually provided on the upper end of builder screw 97 for resetting builder jaws 1111 at the end of eachwinding cycle or run. It is important to note, however, that contactshaft 97 remains stationary during the resetting of builder jaws 1631 and, since clutch 168 (FIGURE 5) is disit being well known that this occurs ginning of each winding .by means to be presently described.

during each winding cycle.

engaged and a gap 104 is alined with gear 1% whenever the machine is stopped, it is apparent that rack 65 and the belt 62 of the variable speed mechanism for the bobbins B may be reset to starting position at the end of the run without rotating contact or tumbler shaft 97.

As heretofore stated, in order to permit efficient block creeling on spinning frames, all the roving packages formed of the same type of roving and produced on all or several fly frames in a mill must have substantially the same lengths or amounts of roving thereon. This is necessary because of the fact that it is highly desirable to mix the roving packages produced on various fly frames when the roving packages are placed on the creels of the various spinning frames. Of course, having all of the fly frames in a mill produce roving packages having substantially the same amounts of roving wound thereon, it becomes unnecessary to separate the roving packages produced on the different fly frames from each other, ashas heretofore been the case in instances in which block creeling was carried out in many textile mills.

Although various prior devices have been employed for stopping spinning frames when a given length of yarn was wound on the bobbins thereof, such prior devices have not been applicable to fly frames, because the spinning frame stop motions have either been particularly adapted for use on spinning frames which produce filling wound packages, or the spinning frame stop motion has been operated by the builder motion peculiar to spinning frames, which builder motion includes a rocking builder arm.

The stop motions of spinning frames which produce filling wound packages have included a switch which was engaged by the ring rail when it reached its highest level, during the winding of the last few turns of yarn on the filling wound bobbins. It is apparent that the latter stop motion could not be used on a fly frame, because the bobbin carriage of a fly frame moves between its highest and lowest positions at the becycle and its vertical strokes are gradually shortened at each end thereof during the build or winding cycle. lso, since the builder motion of a fly frame is constructed and operated in a manner quite different from that of a spinning frame and does not include a builder arm of the type associated with the'builder motion of a spinning frame, the builder-motion-operated stop motion of a spinning frame could not heretofore be ap-' plied to a fly frame. 7

Therefore, I have provided a novel stop motion device particularly adapted to be connected to the fly frame builder mechanism of each of a plurality of fly frames and which will stop each fly frame with its bobbin carriage and flyers in predetermined relative dofling positions upon a predetermined number of layers of roving counted by the device being wound onto the bobbins so that all the I filledbobbins on all the fly frames will have substantially the same number of yards of roving wound thereon. My

improved stop motion device will now be described in detail. 1 1

As best shown in FIGURES 2, 3 and 4, the novel stop motion comprises a form of counting device, broadly designated at 125, and including a movable counting member or rotor 126 which is in the form ofa gear and is driven through a complete revolution during'each winding cycle In other words, counting means or rotor 1% moves from a starting position through a complete cycle back to its starting position cured to the upper surface of an angle bracket 132 by I means of screws 133.

The screws 133 penetrate adjustment slots 134 pro- Rotor 126 is journaled on anupright stub shaft 127 (FIGURES 3 and 4) whose re- 6 of the base 130 toward and away from contact shaft 97. Angle bracket 132 is fixed on a standard 135 which is, in turn, secured to a lower angle bracket 136. Angle bracket 136 may be secured to any fixed part of the machine and, in this instance, it is shown as being secured to the floor F on which the fly frame rests.

The rotor 126 is driven through mechanical connections with the contact shaft 97 which, as heretofore stated rotates a half revolution with each reciprocation at the end of each stroke of the bobbin carriage31 in each direction. Since the length of roving wound on a filled bobbin B must vary according to the size of the rov ng and the character of the fibers of which the roving is made in order that all roving packages may be of substantially the same diameter, means are provided to facilitate adjusting the speed of rotation of the rotor 126 relative to the speed of rotation of the contact shaft 97. Thus, i will be observed in FIGURES 3 and 4 that rotor 126 is engaged by a relatively small gear 140 suitably size and characteristics of the roving being processed on vided in angle bracket 133 to thereby facilitate adjustment 7 the fly frame, the reduced lower portion of shaft 144 extends through an arcuate adjustment slot 147 formed in the base plate 130. The arcuate slot 147 is generated about the axis of rotor 126 and its shaft 127 so that gear 14rnay remain in proper intermeshing relationship with the teeth of rotor 126 when different'size change gears 141 are mounted on the sleeve 142 and the reduced upper portion 143 of shaft 144.

Change gear 141 is engaged by a pinion or relatively small gear 151) fixed on the upper end of an upright shaft151 journaled in a standard or boss 152. Boss 152 may be suitably secured to or formed integral with base plate 131). Shaft 151 extends through base plate 131) and has a sprocket wheel 153 fixed thereon which is engaged by an endless sprocket chain 154. Sprocket chain 154 also engages a sprocket wheel 155 which may be relatively smaller than sprocket wheel 153 and which is preferably of the split type, as shown in FiGURE 3, in order to facilitate mounting and securing the same on contact shaft 97 without removing contact sh ft 517 from the fly frame and without removing anyof the parts from the contact shaft 97, such as the builder dog 1%, worrn 111i, gear 11l5 and cam for example. It is thus seen that, as the contact shaft 97 rotates in a stepwise manner, stepwise rotation is imparted to rotor 126 at a relatively slow speed as compared to the speed of rotation of contact shaft 97. I

From'the foregoing description, it is apparent that contact shaft 97 imparts intermittent rotation to pinion that the diameter of the roving packages may remain substantially the same and the rotor 126 may complete. a revolution during the winding cycle.

The base 130 preferably has a post or other indicating element 1% fixed thereon and projecting upwardly adjacent the rotor 126. The rotor 126 has, in turn, a pointer or other suitable indicatingelement 161 suitably secured thereto which is spaced a predetermined distance from a switch actuator 162 which is shown in the form of a polygonal or square pin suitably adjustably secured to and depending from rotor 126. Pin 162 may be secured-to rotor 126 by a screw d so that pin 162 may be adjusted about its axis to determine the instant it is to engage and move actuator lever 164- to where it will break the circuit which controls operation of the fly frame. When the indicating pointer 161 is in registration with the indicating post 1619, pin 162 is in engagement with the follower 163 of a switch actuating lever 164, this being the position occupied by rotor 126 at the beginning and end of each winding cycle. The pointer 161 and post 1611 may be omitted, if desired.

Switch actuating lever 164 is pivotally mounted, as at 165, on the base plate 130 and engages the plunger of a double-throw, composite knock-off limit switch assembly 167, the housing of which is also suitably secured to base plate 130. Switch assembly 167 may be in the form of three separate switches operable by lever 164-. For convenience in this disclosure, however, switch assembly 167 includes three interconnected switches a, b, (FIGURE 1), the switches a, b, being normally opened and switch 0 being normally closed. The switches a, b, c are interconnected by a plunger i normally biased outwardly toward lever 164 by a compression spring 171) (FIGURE 1) or other suitable spring. In order to limit counterclockwise movement of the actuating lever 164 (FIGURE 3), a suitable stop or abutment 171 may be suitably secured to and project upwardly from base plate 139 adjacent the side of actuating lever 164 opposite from the plunger of switch 167.

When the switch actuator 162 is in engagement with the follower 163 of lever 164, switches a, b are positioned out of engagement with respective pairs of conductors 173, 173:: and 172, 172a while switch c is in engagement with conductors 200, 200a (FIGURE 1). It will be observed in FIGURE 1 that conductors 172, 173 have respective conductors 174, 177 connected to medial portions thereof.

Conductor 177 interconnects conductors 173, 173a. A rack-operated safety means is provided in the form of a normally closed safety switch 173 interposed in conductor 177. It will be noted that switch 178 is in parallel with switch a, is normally closed by a spring w, and is opened by the rack 65 at some time during each winding cycle, but well before the end of each winding cycle. Since switch a is held open by the actuator 162 (FIGURE 3) engaging follower 163 at the end of each winding cycle, and at least one of the switches a, 178 must be closed in order to restart the machine, this leaves the circuit to the machine drive (motor 12) open at the end of each winding cycle and until the machine has been at least partially reset to starting position; i.e., until rack 65 has been moved back to the right in FIGURES 1 and 2 at least sufiiciently to clear the actuator of switch 178 and permit the same to close, as will be later described in more detail. Thus, an operator cannot run back the rack 65, along with other operating elements of the machine, a relatively small amount and then restart the machine as the operator may wish to do near the end of a work day or shift. Obviously, this would increase the amount of roving on the bobbins B and thereby defeat the purpose of the present invention.

In this regard, it is well known that the rack 65 can only be run back a small amount at the end of the run if an operator wishes to restart the machine before completely resetting the same, since the peripheral speed of filled bobbins B would otherwise be too great with respect to the speed of the flyers 24 and this would result in abnormally high tension in or parting of the strands. It follows, therefore, that the filled bobbins B would have to be doffed and replaced with empty bobbins and the machine would have to be completely reset even though safety switch 178 would close at some time during the resetting operation. Of course, safety switch 178 must be so positioned that it cannot open at the end of each winding cycle until the rack 65 has been run back to such extent that the machine could not then be restarted Without abnormally stretching or breaking the strands of roving in their course to the then filled bobbins B.

In others words, safety switch 178 should be normally active and so positioned as to be inactivated upon move merit of rack or element 65 to a predetermined point intermediate its range of active movement. It has been found desirable to position safety switch 178 at a point at which it will be engaged by rack 65 when rack 65 has moved approximately one-third of its full range of movement.

Ref rring again to FIGURE 1, it will be observed that conductor 174 leads to one side of a switch 2 of a relay, broadly designated at 176, and a conductor 175 leads from a medial portion of conductor 172a to corresponding sides of a pair of stop and start members or pushbutton switches 13%), 181 which may be positioned at any desired location on or adjacent the fly frame.

Relay 1'76 comprises a coil 182 and a plurality of normally open switches eh, all of which are moved to closed position upon energization of coil 182. When coil 182 of relay 176 is energized, switch 2 establishes contact between conductor 174i and a conductor 183 while switches f, g and h establish contact between respective pairs of conductors 184, 135; 186, 187; and 190, 191. The conductors 184, 186, 190 are lead conductors, and corresponding ends thereof, opposite from switches f, g, h, are connected to a suitable source of electrical energy embodied in a male plug or connector 192. The ends of conductors 185, 187, 191, opposite from switches f, g, h are connected to electric motor 12. It is apparent, therefore, that electric motor 12 is energized whenever relay coil 182 is energized and the switches f, g, h occupy closed position.

The electric motor 12 and lead conductors 185, 187, 191 are representative of any desired type of electrically operable drive for the fly frame, since it is apparent that relay 176 of the control circuit may serve to make and break the circuit to the electric motor 12 or to any other electrical device which will stop the fly frame upon actuation thereof. For example, the plunger of relay 176 could be connected to the usual shipper shaft, such as that indicated at 81 in said US. Patent No. 2,452,873, or to the knock-off lever 83 of said patent, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

It will be observed in the upper right-hand portion of FIGURE 1 that stop switch 180 is normally closed and thus normally maintains contact between conductor 175 and the conductor 2013. Conductor 2011 is connected to lead conductor 184 by a conductor 193. Start switch 181 is normally opened and, when closed, it establishes contact between conductors 173, 175. Conductor 183 leads from switch e of relay 176 to one side of the coil 182 of relay 176, and the other side of coil 182 has a conductor 195 leading therefrom to lead conductor 186.

The end of conductor 173a opposite from switch a of assembly 167 is connected to conductor 183. Conductor 269 has a suitable warning device, such as an electric buzzer or lamp 202, interposed therein, to thus indicate to the operator when the end of the winding cycle of that particular machine has been reached, since the plunger j of switch assembly 167 then occupies the position of FIGURE 3, because of pin 162 being in engagement with the follower 163 of switch actuating lever 164, and switch c (FIGURE 1) is then closed while switches a, b are then open.

The operation of the apparatus as thus far described will now be given. Assuming that the fly frame is stopped, that the parts of the control or counting-device 125 occupy the position shown in FIGURE 3, that the rack 65 occupies the proper starting position out of engagement with switch 178, and that empty bobbins B 'are positioned on the bolsters 26, with strands of roving R extending through the flyers 24 to the bobbins B (FIG- URE 5), an operator depresses the normally open start switch 181 to establish contact between conductors 175,

173 and holds the start switch 181 in closed position until contact shaft 97 has rotated sufficiently to impart sufficient movement to rotor 126 to move the pin 162 out of engagement with the follower 163 of switch actuating lever 164, and so that spring 176 (FIGURE 1) moves switches a, b to closed position and moves switch to open position.

When the operator initially closes start switch 181, current flows from lead conductor 186, through conductor 195, the coil 182 of relay 176, through conductors 183,

. 173a, 177, switch 173 and conductor 173' through start switch 181 and stop switch 181), and through conductors 200 and 193 to lead conductor 134, thus energizing the coil 182 of relay 176 and moving switches e-h to closed position. It should be noted that the latter circuit could not have been completed if rack 65 still engaged switch 17 3. As heretofore stated, the start switch 181 is held in closed position until pin 162 (FIGURE 3) moves out of engagement with the follower 163 on switch actuating arm 164 so that plunger 1 of switch assembly 167 is released and switches a, b move to closed position.

Thus, upon releasing start switch 181 and permitting the same to return to open position, current continues to flow through the coil 182 of relay 176, since current flows from lead conductor 136 through conductor 195, coil 182, conductor 1553, switch e,'conductors 174, 172, switch b, conductors 172a, 175, stop switch 185) and conductors 261i), 153 to the lead conductor 154. Thus, current may then flow to coil 1S2 upon safety switch 173 subsequently being opened by rack 65. The fly frame would then operate in the usual manner until the required number of layers of roving had been wound on the bobbins B, at which instant the plunger 1 of switch assembly 167 would be moved to open switches a, b and to close switch 0 and, since safety switch 175 will have been opened by rack 65, this would stop the fly frame.

Since the machine cannot be restarted at the end of each winding cycle or run, it is highly desirable that the bobbin carriage 31 comes to rest at a predetermined optimum dofflng position upon completion of the winding cycle. Therefore, I have provided means for delaying the stopping of the fly frame at the end of the winding cycle for a predetermined interval following engagement of the follower 163 by the pin 162 on the rotor 126 (FIGURES).

In this connection, it should be noted that pin 162 is so positioned that it engages follower 163 and moves switch actuating lever 164 in a clockwise direction and comes to rest in this position at the terminus of a'corresponding half revolution in rotation of contact shaft 97. Thus, if the flow of electrical energy to motor 12 (FIGURE 1) is not then interrupted, it follows that a downward or'up ward stroke, or both, would be imparted to bobbin carriage 31 following the movement of switches a, b to open position and while pin 162 remains in engagement with follower 163. g

Now, in order to cause the fly frame to stop with the bobbins B and flyers 24 in predetermined relative positions, a normally closed switch 2195 is arranged in parallel with switch b of switch assembly 167 and is positioned adjacent the path of travel of carriage gaged by a switch actuator 2116 movable with carriage 31 in the course of each vertical reciprocation of carriage 31;

Switch 295 may be of conventional or other construction, but should be of a type having'a pivoted switch'arm 207 which is normally biased to a neutral position with its free end positioned in the path of travel of the switch actuator 206 carried by carriage 31 and wherein, upon movement of switch arm 207 in one direction, switch 265 remains closed and, upon movement of switch arm 2197 in the opposite direction, switch 205 is opened.

In this instance, the housing of switch 205 is shown attached to an angle bracket 216 suitably secured to a fixed part of the machine, which happens to be a conventional cover 211 which overlies the bevel gears 22, 23 and shafts 31 so as to be enthe spirit of the invention.

20 of the fly frame in this instance (FIGURE 5). 7 Switch arm 207 is biased to neutral position (at which switch 205 is closed) by a flat or leaf spring 212 carried by the housing of switch 265 and engaging the substantially flat outer end of the switch arm 267' (FIGURES 1 and 5).

Although there are many ways in which switch 265 may be constructed, an illustrative example of how the switch 205 may be constructed is shown in the lower right-hand portion of FIGURE 1, wherein it will be observed that the housing thereof encloses a switch bar 213 fixed on a pivot shaft 214- on which a medial portion of switch arm 207 is adjustably mounted, the shaft 214 being suitably journaled in the housing of switch 265 and switch bar 213 being suitably insulated from shaft 214-. Switch bar 213 has the end of conductor 172a opposite from switch b of switch assembly 167 connected thereto. The end of conductor 172 opposite from switch b is connected to a leaf spring contact member 215 suitably insulatably secured in the housing of switch 265 and normally engaging switch bar 213.

Switch actuator 2.26 is shown in the form of a substantially L-shaped bar having a longitudinally extending slot k therein (FIGURE 5) which is penetrated by a screw in the bobbins B occupy a predetermined position relative to p the flyers 24 in the course of each upward and downward stroke of carriage 31. It is apparent, by referring to FIGURES 1 and 5, that the actuator 2136 engages and moves switch arm 2*37 downwardly in the course of each downward stroke of carriage 31, thus moving switch bar 213 out of engagement with contact 215 to open switch 205 and maintain the same open until the actuator 2136 moves downwardly beyond the switch arm 207, whereupon switch arm 2G7 returns to the neutral position under the influence of spring 212.

Conversely, switch actuator 266 engages and moves switch arm 267 upwardly in the course of each upward stroke of carriage 31, .but switch 205 remains closed because bar 213 remains in engagement with yieldable contact 215. Referring now to FIGURE 1, it will-be noted that, although'switch 295 is open with each downward stroke of carriage 31 and safety switch 178 will have opened during the run, the switches a, b normally remain closed so the fly frame continues to operate. However, after the pin 162 of counting device has moved into engagement with the follower 163 of actuating lever 164 and has moved switches a, b to open position, the coil 182 of relay 176 remains energized untilswitch actuator 2&6 engages and moves switch arm 21W downwardly in a subsequent downward stroke of carriage 31 and 'motor 12, thus stopping the fly frame with the bobbins B and flyers 24 in predetermined relative position.

t should be noted that switch 205, when closed, continues the flow of current to coil 182 of relay 176 after switches 178, a and b are opened, because current then flows fronrlead conductor 136 through conductor 195, coil 182, conductor 183, switch e, conductors1'74, 172, carriage switch 2&5, conductors 172a, 175, stop switch 131? and conductors 2th), 193 to lead conductor 184.

It is apparent that switch 205 maybe-inverted so as to stop carriage 31 in the course of upward, rather than downward, movement, if desired, without departing from The reason why both switches a, b are provided instead of a single switch in this instance, is to enable restarting the fiy frame in the event that it is stopped and the circuit to coil 182 is broken during the run, following the opening of safety switch 178, by any of the usual types of stop motions provided on such machines or by manually opening the stop switch 180. As is well known, fly

frames are usually stopped automatically whenever roving strands are parted in their course to the bobbins, for example. When the fly frame is to be restarted, following such manual or automatic stoppage thereof during the run, the start switch is closed momentarily to energize coil 182 of relay 176, but since safety switch 178 is then open, the circuit is completed through switch a, whereupon the switches e-h are closed and the fly frame operates in the manner heretofore described.

Some fly frames are equipped with a master switch, in lieu of switches 131 181, which normally remains closed throughout each winding cycle unless the fly frame is manually or automatically stopped during the run. In such cases, only one of the limit switches a or 17 need be used in a parallel circuit with switches 178, 295, but with all three of the latter switches being arranged in series with respect to the last-mentioned master switch and the coil 182 of relay 176. The single limit switch associated with rotor 126 and the switches 178, 2% arranged as last set forth would function in the same manner as that described for switch I: and switches 178, 295 in the circuit of FIGURE 1.

After the dofiing and donning operations have been completed at the end of each run, the fly frame is reset to starting condition in the course of which the builder jaws 101 are moved apart to starting positions and the rack 65 and belt 62 are moved from left to right in FIGURE 1 to starting position in a conventional manner. Since clutch 108 (FIGURE 5) is then disengaged, contact shaft 97 and rotor 126 remain stationary during the resetting operation so that rotor 126 is properly positioned relative to switch assembly 167 at the beginning of each winding cycle. It is apparent, therefore, that clutch 1G8 interrupts the connecting means between rotor 126 and the carriage 31 and the movable element or rack 65 upon stopping the driving means embodied in motor 12..

It is thus seen that I have provided an improved stop motion for fly frames including a device which is simply and economically constructed and may be readily attached to a fly frame without modifying any existing parts of the fly frame, and wherein when similar such devices are installed on a plurality of fly frames, this will cause all the fly frames to stop upon a predetermined number of layers of roving being wound on the bobbins thereof and with the flyers and bobbins occupying predetermined relative positions, thus facilitating the dofling of the filled packages of roving from the fly frames and also greatly facilitating the block creeling of spinning frames in which the packages of roving from all the plurality of fly frames may be intermixed, and all the roving on all the bobbins positioned on the creel of a given spinning frame will run out or become exhausted of their respective supplies of roving at substantially the same time.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention and, although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being defined in tating bobbins thereon, flyers for directing strands of roving to the bobbins, means for reciprocating said bobbins whereby a layer of roving is wound on each bobbin during each stroke of said carriage, said means including a contact shaft having a rotary movement at the end of each stroke of the carriage, and electrically operable .means controlling said reciprocating means; the combination of a frame member, a rotor member journaled on said frame member, switch actuator means carried by one of said members, normally active switch means car ried by the other of said members and interposed in an electrical circuit to said electrically operable means,

means for transmitting rotation from said contact shaft 12 to said rotor member, and said actuator means and said switch means being relatively positioned on the respective members so as to inactivate said switch means when said rotor member occupies a predetermined position relative to said frame member.

2. In a fly frame having a carriage for supporting rotating bobbins thereon, flyers for directing strands of roving to the bobbins, means for reciprocating said bobbins whereby a layer of roving is wound on each bobbin during each stroke of said carriage, said means including a contact shaft having a rotary movement at the end of each stroke of the carriage, and electrically operable means controlling said reciprocating means; the combination of normally closed switch means interposed in an electrical circuit to said electrically operable means, a frame member, a rotor journaled on said frame member, switch actuator means carried by said rotor, driving connections between said contact shaft and said rotor for rotating said rotor with each rotary movement of said contact shaft, and said actuator means being positioned to open said switch means at an instant during rotation of said rotor..

3. A structure according to claim 2, including a second normally closed switch means interposed in said circuit in parallel with said first-mentioned switch means, and means movable with said carriage for momentarily opening said second switch means when the carriage occupies a predetermined position in the course of each reciprocation thereof whereby the opening of the second switch means after the opening of the first-mentioned switch means stops said reciprocating means with the carriage in said predetermined position.

4. A structure according to claim 2, in which said driving connections include a first gear driven by said contact shaft, said rotor being in the form of a second gear, and change gear means interposed between and in driving relationship to said first and second gears.

5. A structure according to claim 2, including a fixed indicating element carried by said frame member and positioned adjacent said rotor, and indicating means carried by said rotor, said indicating means being so positioned that it registers with said indicating element when said actuator means opens said switch means.

6. A stop motion for use in a fly frame having flyers, a vertically reciprocable bobbin carriage, a contact shaft, and electrically operable means for reciprocating said carriage and for imparting a rotary movement to said shaft at the end of each stroke of said carriage in each direction; said stop motion comprising a frame member, a rotor journal-ed on said frame member, switch means carried by said frame member and adapted to be interposed in an electrical circuit to said electrically operable means, switch actuator means on said rotor, means adapted to connect said contact shaft and said rotor in driving relationship whereby said rotor may be rotated by said contact shaft, and said actuator means being positioned to actuate said switch means at an instant during rotation of said rotor.

7. A stop motion according to claim 6 in which said connecting means includes a first gear adapted to be driven by said contact shaft, said rotor being in the form of a second gear, and change gear means interposed between and in driving relationship to said first gear and said rotor.

8. In a fly frame having flyers, a vertically reciprocable bobbin carriage, means for driving the bobbins and flyers and for reciprocating the carriage, an element movable a predetermined amount in one direction during each winding cycle from a starting position and being resettable by movement in the opposite direction to the starting position, and means responsive to movement of said element for varying the speed of the bobbins during each cycle; the combination therewith of movable counting means, means connecting said counting means to said carriage and said element only during the wind- 13 ing cycle to count the number of reciprocations of said carriage, said counting means being movable from a starting position through a complete cycle back to its starting position during each winding cycle, limit means engageable by said counting means upon its return to starting position for stopping said driving means to complete the winding cycle, means interrupting the connecting means between said counting means and said carriage and said element upon stopping said driving means, a manually movable start member for starting said driving means, and a safety means responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance during the winding cycle to render ineffective said manually movable start member when the winding cycle has been completed to thereby prevent starting of said driving means.

9. A structure according to claim 8, in which said safety means also includes means responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance toward its starting position following completion of the winding cycle for rendering elfective said movable start member to permit starting of said driving means.

10. In a fly frame having flyers, a vertically reciprocable bobbin carriage, means for driving the bobbins and flyers and for reciprocating the carriage, a rack movable a predetermined amount in one direction during each winding cycle from a starting position and being resettable by movement in the opposite direction to the starting position, and means responsive to movement of said rack for varying the speed of the bobbins during each cycle; the combination therewith of rotary counting means, means connecting said counting means to said carriage and said rack only during the winding cycle to count the number of reciprocations of said carriage, said counting means being rotated from a starting position through a complete cycle back to its starting position during each winding cycle, limit means engageable by said counting means upon its return to starting position for stopping said driving means to complete the winding cycle, means interrupting the connecting means between said counting means and said carriage and said rack upon stopping said driving means, a manually movable start member for starting said driving means, and a safety means responsive to movement of said movable rack a predetermined distance during the winding cycle to render ineffective said manually movable start member when the'winding cycle has been completed to thereby prevent starting of said driving means.

11. A structure according to claim in which said safety means includes means responsive to movement of said rack a predetermined distance toward its starting position following completetion of the winding cycle for rendering effective said movable start member to permit starting of said driving means.

12. In a fly frame having flyers, a vertically reciprocable bobbin carriage, electrically operable means for driving the bobbins and flyers and for reciprocating the carriage, an element movable a predetermined amount in one direction during each winding cycle from a starting position and means responsive to movement of said element for varying the speed of the bobbins during each cycle; the combination therewith of movable counting means, means connecting said counting means to said carriage and said element only during the winding cycle to count the number of reciprocations of said carriage, said counting means being movable from a starting position through a complete cycle back to its starting position during each winding cycle, limit switch means interposed in an electrical control circuit to said electrically operable means and being engageable by said counting means upon its return to starting position for stopping said driving means to complete the winding cycle, means interrupting the connecting means between said counting means and said carriage and said element upon stopping said driving means, a manually movable start switch in series with said limit switch means for starting said driving means, and a safety switch in parallel with said limit switch means and in series with said start switch and being responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance during the winding cycle to render ineffective said manually movable start switch when the winding cycle has been completed to thereby prevent starting of said driving means.

13. A structure according to claim 12, in which said safety switch includes means responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance toward its starting position following completion of the winding cycle for rendering effective said movable start switch to permit starting of said driving means.

14. In a fly frame having a carriage for supporting bobbins thereon, flyers for directing strands of roving to the bobbins, an electrically operable drive for said fly frame and including means for reciprocating said carriage and a variable speed mechanism for varying the speed of the bobbins relative to the flyers during each winding cycle of said frame, an electrical control circuit for said drive, means for reciprocating said carriage, an element operatively connected to said drive and movable from a starting position to another position during each winding cycle, and wherein said mechanism and said element are reset to starting position at the end of each winding cycle; the combination of a normally closed limit switch interposed in said control circuit, a rotor means operatively connecting said rotor to said drive and driving the rotor through a complete revolution during each Winding cycle, an actuator on said rotor and engageable with said limit switch for opening the same at the end of each winding cycle and during the resetting of said mechanism and said element to starting position, means responsive to opening of said limit switch for opening the circuit to said drive to stop the frame upon a given amount of roving being wound on the bobbins, a normally closed safety switch in parallel with said limit switch and normally closing the circuit to said drive, means responsive to movement of said element to a predetermined point intermediate its extent of movement for opening said safety switch and maintaining the same open during the remainder of the winding cycle and thus preventing activation of the circuit to the drive at the end of each winding cycle and until said element is reset at least to said point, and means for interrupting the means operatively connecting the rotor to said drive upon stopping the frame.

15. A structure according to claim 14, including a normally closed carriage switch in parallel with said limit switch and said safety switch, and means on said carriage for momentarily opening said carriage switch during each movement of said carriage in one direction with each reciprocation of said carriage whereby said carriage switch holds said control circuit closed following opening of said limit switch and until said carriage causes the carriage switch to open. i

16. In a fly frame having flyers, a vertically reciprocable bobbin carriage, means for driving the bobbins and flyers and for reciprocating the carriage, an element movable a predetermined amount in one direction during each winding. cycle from a starting position and being resettable by movement in the opposite direction to the starting position, and means responsive to movement of said element for varying the speed of the bobbins during each cycle; the combination therewith of movable counting means, means operatively connecting said counting means to said carriage and said movable element only during the winding cycle to count the number of reciprocations of said carriage, said counting means being movable a predetermined amount during each winding cycle, limit means engageableby said counting means upon movement of said counting means said predetermined distance for stopping said counting means to complete the winding cycle, means interrupting the connecting means between said counting means and said carriage and said movable element upon stopping said driving means, a manually movable start member for starting said driving means, and a safety means responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance during the winding cycle to render ineffective said manually movable start member When the Winding cycle has been completed to thereby prevent starting of said driving means.

17. A structure according to claim 16, in which said safety means also includes means responsive to movement of said movable element a predetermined distance toward its starting position following completion of the Winding 16 cycle for rendering effective said movable start member to permit starting of said driving means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,645,083 Young et a1 Oct. 11, 1927 1,816,738 Netherland et a1. July 28, 1931 2,381,683 Overbey Aug. 7, 1945 2,618,115 Sumner Nov. 18, 1952 10 2,701,946 Bridges et a1. Feb. 15, 1955 

1. IN A FLY FRAME HAVING A CARRIAGE FOR SUPPORTING ROTATING BOBBINS THEREON, FLYERS FOR DIRECTING STRANDS OF ROVING TO THE BOBBINS, MEANS FOR RECIPROCATING SAID BOBBINS WHEREBY A LAYER OF ROVING IS WOUND ON EACH BOBBIN DURING EACH STROKE OF SAID CARRIAGE, SAID MEANS INCLUDING A CONTACT SHAFT HAVING A ROTARY MOVEMENT AT THE END OF EACH STROKE OF THE CARRIAGE, AND ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE MEANS CONTROLLING SAID RECIPROCATING MEANS; THE COMBINATION OF A FRAME MEMBER, A ROTOR MEMBER JOURNALED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER, SWITCH ACTUATOR MEANS CARRIED BY ONE OF SAID MEMBERS, NORMALLY ACTIVE SWITCH MEANS CARRIED BY THE OTHER OF SAID MEMBERS AND INTERPOSED IN AN ELECTRICAL CIRCUIT TO SAID ELECTRICALLY OPERABLE MEANS, MEANS FOR TRANSMITTING ROTATION FROM SAID CONTACT SHAFT TO SAID ROTOR MEMBER, AND SAID ACTUATOR MEANS AND SAID SWITCH MEANS BEING RELATIVELY POSITIONED ON THE RESPECTIVE MEMBERS SO AS TO INACTIVATE SAID SWITCH MEANS WHEN SAID ROTOR MEMBER OCCUPIES A PREDETERMINED POSITION RELATIVE TO SAID FRAME MEMBER. 